September, 1946
Volume 1, Number 4
Contents
PETER LASSEN A YUGOSLAV MASON ON WAR GUILT
MASONRY'S CARDINAL VIRTUE The Philalethes Society News
A REVIEW IT'S BEEN SAID BEFORE
MASONRY IN FOREIGN LANDS Historical Notes
LET THERE BE LIGHT WE WERE BOYS TOGETHER, SILAS AND I
PETER LASSEN - A CALIFORNIA PIONEER AND MASON
By Leo Fischer, F.P.S.
Peter Lassen, born at Farum, Denmark, on October 31, 1800, and slain by Indians near Black Rock, in Lassen County, California, on April 26, 1859, was known as the man who operated the first sawmill at what is now the city of San Jose, who explored the upper Sacramento Valley with Bidwell, who laid out Benton City, who started steamboat navigation on the Sacramento River, and after whom Lassen county and Mt. Lassen, the only active volcano of the continental United States, are named. By trade a blacksmith, this hardy Dane emigrated to the United States when 29 years of age. After living in several States, he settled in 1840 in what is now Tehama County, Calif. In 1847 he went back to his old home in Missouri and secured from the Grand Lodge of F. and A. M. of that State a charter for a Lodge to be held at Benton City, in "Upper California," and to be known as Western Stars Lodge No. 98. This charter, the first ever brought to California, was dated May 10, 1848, and named Sarchel Woods as W.M., L. E. Stewart as S.W., and Peter Lassen as J.W. The first meeting of the Lodge was held at Benton City on October 30, 1849. After a few months, the Lodge was removed to Shasta, a new mining settlement, and when the Grand Lodge of California was founded, in 1850, it was re-chartered as Western Stars Lodge No. 2. As such it has been occupying the same Lodge room since 1854.
Lassen had expressed a desire to be buried under the tree under which he had slept the first night in what is now Lassen County, and to let that be his monument. After that tree had been destroyed, a fine monument was erected to Lassen on the same spot with money subscribed by the people of northern California.
Thanks to our Brother Frederik K. Lauterbach, M.P.S., a barrister at the Danish Supreme Court, we are now able to publish herewith a photograph of a Masonic monument erected to Bro. Lassen's memory in his native town of Farum, Denmark. Shafts of stone in two continents thus commemorate the name of a man who wanted a giant of the California forest for his monument.
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Alex Scott, Past Master of Newberg Lodge No. 104, in Oregon, on the day following his 87th birthday, conferred the Master Mason Degree on John Meyninck, with a degree cast composed of Scotchmen. This team had previously conferred the degree for a neighboring Lodge on a petitioner who was born in Norway. - Scottish Rite News Bulletin.
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By Leo Fischer. F.P.S.
Bro. D. Tomitch, former assistant delegate for Yugoslavia to the International Institute for Intellectual Cooperation and ex-delegate of the Grand Lodge of Yugoslavia to the Executive Committee of the International Masonic Association at Geneva, has sent us a 32-page pamphlet in French addressed to the American and European Masonic Grand Jurisdictions and entitled "Who was responsible for the war of 1939-1945. Evidence for the Accusation."
In order that our readers may have an idea of the contents and purpose of this work, we give hereunder a resume of it, with translations of some of the salient portions:
On page 4 Bro. Tomitch makes this specific accusation: "I accuse, with evidence to support me, the Regency of Prince Paul of Yugoslavia of having been the accomplice of Germany and Italy in the preparations for the aggression against Europe during the entire period from 1934 to 1939. Pierre Laval greatly facilitated this complicity by his agreement with Mussolini and by wrecking the trial of the Marseilles assassins."
Tomitch affirms that in October, 1934, Goering, on occasion of his visit to Belgrade as head of the German delegation to the funeral of King Alexander, he being at the time president of the German Reichstag, had a 2-hour conference with Prince Regent Paul at which important agreements were evidently made. "Immediately after Goering had left the Regency palace, Prince Paul called Minister of Foreign Affairs Jevtitch and informed him that Hitler's Germany guaranteed the integrity of Yugoslavia against the aggressive designs of Italy, notwithstanding the evidence Yugoslavia had of Italian military preparations along the frontier. In exchange for this guaranty, Prince Paul must no doubt have accepted a plan of collaboration with Hitler's Germany. He did not reveal it to his Minister of Foreign Affairs, however, and the latter was greatly astonished when the Prince Regent recommended that he receive Abbe Korochetz, ex-minister and chief of the Slovene clerical Catholic party, and have a conference with him concerning a reconstitution of the Yugoslav cabinet, with Korochetz as a member. Korochetz had at the time just returned to Belgrade from the island of Hvar, where he had been confined by King Alexander after a political disagreement between the two. Everybody knew the cause. Under the Austro-Hungarian government Abbe Korochetz had been the chaplain of Empress Zita and one of the most active-champions of Austrian expansion, through catholicism, in the Balkans. He had thus become an influential agent of the Vatican."
In order to avoid suspicion, the Korochetz appointment was postponed and Laval and Mussolini, in January, 1936, signed a secret agreement analogous to that made between Prince Regent Paul and Goering. This agreement helped Mussolini to clear his government from the accusation of being guilty of the assassination of the king of Yugoslavia and the French minister of foreign affairs in Marseilles. In the campaign of slander against Yugoslavia in the French press which ensued, French Masonry was constantly accused of having ordered the Marseilles assassinations.
Tomitch then relates how he prepared for the Grand Lodge of Yugoslavia a secret circular warning Universal Masonry against the attempt being made to clear Italy and accuse French Masonry of being responsible for the Marseilles assassinations. Abbe Kolochetz, as minister of the interior, publicly launched such an accusation.
Italy and the Vatican brought pressure upon Yugoslavia to sign a concordat which would have made the Roman Catholic Church a state within the State of Yugoslavia instead of remaining on the same footing with the other religions. Public demonstrations held in Yugoslavia against this concordat resulted in bloodshed. In Belgrade, Korochetz' police, attempting to break up a Serbian Orthodox religious procession, wounded among others two bishops and several priests. Korochetz claimed there was a Masonic plot against the State.
An espionage agent in the pay of both Italy and Korochetz, one Saks-Petrovitch, who had been introduced into American Masonry by Italian propaganda agents while consul general of Montenegro in New York, worked especially hard to secure evidence against the militant Yugoslavs making it possible to convict them of high treason. In Paris, Dr. Zodeniko, a high official of the Yugoslav government, secured Tomitch' Masonic correspondence by means of burglary; but this did not help Korochetz in his nefarious purpose.
Tomitch proceeds: "According to the questions which the officers of the German Gestapo asked of me in the course of the interminable interrogatories to which I was subjected in Paris and, during the occupation, in Belgrade. I am fully informed not only as regards the treasonable politics of the Regency of Prince Paul of Yugoslavia but also concerning the causes of the campaign of slander against Masonry in the entire world since the advent of Fascism in Italy. They asked me for information regarding the international Masonic congresses in which I had participated during, the period of the war of 1914-1918, and relative to the Masonic meetings held in Paris during the peace conference of 1919-1920. My questioners were looking for proofs of what they termed the Anglo-American Jewish Masonic plot against Germany. They told me that the Versailles Treaty had been the work of that plot and that all who had taken any part whatsoever in imposing that treaty upon Germany were the authors thereof or their accomplices. That is the reason why, on Hitler's rise to power, his government regarded the Masons as relentless enemies of all the countries of the world. As to the Yugoslav Masons in particular, the Germans accused them, besides, of having organized the coup d'etat of March 27, 1941, in Belgrade. They claimed that that coup d'etat had been executed by the Yugoslav Masons by order of the Grand Lodge of England."
Bro. Tomitch charges Catholic priests and monks with having committed numerous crimes, citing a number of names and places. He affirms that many of them were killed in battle fighting the Yugoslav insurgents of Tito's army side by side with the German soldiers. Over 200 Franciscan monks thus perished at the Siroki-Brijeg convent in Herzegovina. Among the many priests tried and executed, Bro. Tomitch mentions Bozidar Bral who, in May, 1941, had ordered the massacre of Serbs and Jews in all Bosnia. Another Franciscan monk whom he names was executed because he had personally murdered several hundreds of prisoners, both men and women.
"In Yugoslavia, 1,700,000 men, women and children have been slain, shot, burnt alive, or have perished in Italian, German or Hungarian concentration camps. A nation so chastised has a right to demand the punishment to the fullest extent of the persons guilty of those crimes."
Bro. Tomitch wishes it understood that the Yugoslav general Draja Mihailovitch is not the national hero of the Serbs who, at the head of his insurgent army, fought the invaders of his country; but that he collaborated with the enemy under the same conditions, for the same reasons and for the same purposes as Marshal Petain's militia. Quisling's men, and similar traitors to their country.
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For centuries before Christ was born, and since, Masonry has worked hard for the benefit of all mankind. Many seem to fail to understand that they, themselves, are enjoying the benefits of the Masonic principles of their neighbors and friends, also that they are living where the great Masonic principles are written into the form of government which gives them the Liberty, Freedom, Justice and equal rights which they so much enjoy. - Exchange.
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The first Mason to have lived in the American Colonies is said to have been John Skene, deputy governor of West Jersey. He came to the colonies from Aberdeen, Scotland, where he was made a Mason in 1682, thirty-five years before the Grand Lodge of England was formed, in 1717. It is claimed that Jonathan Belcher, who was governor of Massachusetts between 1728 and 1741, was the first native-born American to be made a Mason in the colonies.- Oregon Mason.
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God estimates us, not by the position we are in, but by the way in which we fill it. - Grand Lodge of Iowa Bulletin
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THE PHILALETHES - September, 1946; Volume 1, Number 4. Walter A. Quincke, F.P.S., editor. Publication schedule (tentatively set) during January; February; March; May; July; September; November, and December. Annual subscription, three dollars, payable in advance to: The Philalethes Society, Walter A. Quincke, President; 274 South Burlington Avenue; Los Angeles 4, California. - Readers of "The Philalethes" will find in each issue a well-rounded and practical text to please discriminating Masonic taste. - Editors of Masonic magazines are privileged to reprint any of the articles appearing in "The Philalethes" magazine, providing credit as to its source is given and a marked copy is sent to us.
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By Walter A. Quincke, F.P.S.
Masonry can be appreciated only by those who understand, believe in and actively support its benevolent influences which are likened to the dew drops on flowers - felt, but seen only in the crystal tear resting on the eye of gratitude and dissolved by the sunshine of which it is the precursor.
Look at the sanctuaries Masonry has erected throughout the world; look at her altars bright with the fires of truth and look at her children humbly ministering to the suffering and needy. Consider the epitaph of the Great Architect resting in the splendid Temple of His own creation and consider further the perfection of architecture and the arts. Masonry gave the first impulse to the systematic dissemination of learning. During the dark ages, when the clouds of superstition rested upon every nation, she was chosen as the guardian of literature and science. When these clouds lifted and the horizon cleared, there emerged from the inner sanctuary that chosen band to show the world that there still remained a remnant of the wise and prudent.
God walking with man in the Garden of Eden taught him the cardinal virtue of Masonry - unbounded love for all things created and holy reverence for Him who created them. As blood courses through one's veins, so thought traverses the brain and moves the soul. As the earth poured forth her treasures, so Heaven supplied and directed spiritual ailment. Man walked in the image of his Maker, perfect in form, feature and mind. There was contentment and harmony in the song of the birds, the roar of lions and the bleat of lambs. Zephyrs stirred the forest leaves, moonbeams were unbroken as they rested upon the waters, nature was pure beauty and all things were made subservient to the dominion of man's interest and enjoyment. Pain, mental anguish, burning heat bitter cold, exitement of hope, bitterness of disappointment were unknown to him - a created being and in communion with his God.
As the world grew and the wings of evil overshadowed the pure and perfect one, the song of birds was hushed, the lion no longer crouched at the feet of the master, the thunder of God's wrath crashed among the trees and the heart of man became a volcano of passions to burst forth in devastating fury. Ambition played her part and the hand of man was raised against his brother, changing the face of nature once so beautiful and the trail of the serpent left its mark upon all things created.
The survivors of the great Flood have grown into mighty races, travelling far and wide. Many riches in the bosom of the earth have been discovered and developed, simplicity giving way to luxury and refinement.
Man's life is a pilgrimage through a region of varied aspects beneath a sky of clouds and sunshine.
Man has always been and always will be as diverse in feeling and character as in language and complexion, united in one common objective - that of pressing onward to the goal of eternity. As the strings of a violin, each vibrating with its own peculiar tone and producing one harmonious melody, so all hearts respond to the touch of the same Divine Master, all uniting to perfect the great work for which they were created. Life, in all its stages, from youth to old age, is ever changing and uncertain. Man feels within him the strength of intellect and his inventive powers are forever called into action. He explores the recesses of nature and pries into her secrets. Is he happier than the one who walked in the Garden of Eden or is he still conscious of a yearning which must be supplied? And because of such a yearning after human sympathy and unity for mutual support and unselfish love of man for man, encouragement and intellectual improvement, all originating in a law of nature arose Masonry.
Along the track of history we have glimpses of its progress, a word here and a symbol there, just as the footprints in the rock enables scientists to determine the existence and character of antediluvian human beings, animals and plants. And, notwithstanding persecution, Masonry has survived and now numbers among her followers the wisest and the best, admired and respected by the whole world for their talents and virtues.
One, who by slow steps proceeds through each apartment of our mystic temple, from its porch to its sanctuary, pausing in his progress to admire the philosophy of each degree and reflecting upon the uses of each, is gradually and surely imbued with such admiration for the entire design of Masonry, such unbounded love for its principles and appreciation for its divine truth as an agent of human progress and civilization, that he will arrive at the summit with due appreciation of the general symmetry and continuity that pervades the whole system of Masonry.
The seeker after LIGHT and TRUTH in Freemasonry enters our sanctuary and listens to the words of kindness which meet him at every step. All at once he begins to feel how pleasant it is for "Brethren to dwell together in unity." He discovers that friendship is something more than a name and that deep within the recesses of the heart lie emotions which need only be warmed into life by a contact with kindred spirits. He realizes the true nobility of his nature and the intellectual and moral functions that are brought into healthful action. He is made conscious that a change has come over his spiritual nature which the genius of Masonry has touched, bringing forth living waters and making his barren wilderness blossom as a bed of roses. He no longer walks alone amid a multitude and he looks upon all as brothers, bound by the strong tie of unbounded love. His passions are subdued and his gentler emotions are aroused into activity and life. The feeling of his heart are united and harmonized by the media of Masonry and kindness and charity are the natural characteristics developed. What glorious warmth in the name of brother, how the mind turns at once to the domestic circle, for it is here that unbounded love is seen in its most divine beauty and intensity. Feeling of passions and bitterness at the world's coldness have given way to kindlier emotions as one thinks of a true friend, even as animals are drawn together by instinct and a love of their own species, implanted in them by the Great Architect of the Universe for their own wood.
This, then, is the cardinal virtue, gradually increasing in power until in man, under the guidance of reason, it is displayed in its full development. It is the basis for patriotism, it imparts hope to the lone wanderer, rich or poor. What noble instances of heroism has it produced, and what prisoner in his solitude has it cheered. It was the witness at the Cross when amid the reproaches the faithful band of disciples stood by, guiding the lone woman to the sepulchre to see where they had laid her Master. It is the golden thread which runs through the web of human life, imparting to it its strength and beauty.
The habit is acquired in our lodges of thinking well of our neighbor and we learn to look upon our fellow-man not as one who could be used to advantage but as one who has a claim upon our sympathy and regard. The heart, ever alive to cultivate frankness and courtesy instead of envy and suspicion, must be possessed also of charity, the true mark of a Mason - the same charity which looks to the moral as well as the physical improvement of man and everlasting strives to elevate him nearer to that state of perfection in which he was originally created.
We are taught to follow no path unless it leads to wisdom, to catch every ray of light, to drink in every sound, to love wisdom for wisdom's sake, to follow her paths because they only lead to pleasantness. In the Masonic Book of Light wisdom and happiness are inseparable . . . wisdom as the sustaining power and happiness as the knowledge that brings forth the fruits of a righteous life that will gain entrance in that Temple not made with human hands.
We start on life's pilgrimage down the stream of time, we do not see the hidden thorns, we do not inhale the lurking poisons, we glide on toward the distant mountains bright with hope and, finally, an expected paradise. But will the stream be always smooth, shall we not feel the thorns or are we immune to the poisons? How about crossing the mountains? How welcome then may be a brother's hand to help ease the burden and assist in climbing the rugged heights ?
Nations have risen and fallen and, yet, Masonry still stands enlightening and beautiful. Ridicule upon her pretentions to great antiquity has been numerous; yet, the jeers of the profane have not affected those claims one iota. The wisdom of the ancient sages remains treasured within her archives. The winds of despotism and the surges of fury have beaten against her all in vain, for she was founded on a virtue as solid as the Rock of Gibraltar.
So let us rejoice in the spirit of unbounded love - the cardinal virtue of Masonry and the golden chain which links heart to heart forever !
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The building in which the first American Grand Lodge was formed still stands at Williamsburg, Va. It is kept in condition by Virginia Masons.
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New Members
Percy Pruyn Barbour; Georgetown, Colorado.
Fred William Feihl; 11240 Bellflower Rd., Cleveland 6, Ohio.
Murray M. Friedman; 22, Lilienblum Street; P.O.B. 880; Tel-Avid, Palestine.
Dennio Koach; 1141 W. Olympic Boulevard; Los Angeles 15, California.
Charles C. Lindsay; 500 West 31st Street, Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Charles Gottshall Reigner; 624 North Gilmor Street: Baltimore 17. Maryland.
Leland Brown Tainter; 1481 Alameda Avenue; Lakewood 7. Ohio.
Luther Van Buskirk; 1370 Grant Street; Denver 3, Colorado.
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Re-Affiliations
William H. Knutz; 2305 Pioneer Road; Evanston Illinois.
Harry Edward McBride; P.O. Box 746; Raton, New Mexico.
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Changes of Addresses
Lt. Col. William Moseley Brown; F.P.S.; Box 506; Scarsdale, New York.
Reginald V. Harris; F.P.S.; P.O. Box 522; Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Charles Clyde Hunt; F.P.S.; 2004 Park Avenue, S.E.; Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
John Black Vrooman; Veterans Hospital; Jefferson Barracks. 23. Missouri.
(When requesting a correction or a change of address, kindly give the old as well as the new addresses, together with your postal zone number, if you have such. This prevents waste. - Editor).
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There's a cozy little corner in my heart all tucked away
Warmed by the light of friendship's smile and song and laughter gay.
There's a sacred little nook I keep just for a favored few,
But there is always open house within my heart for you.
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Masonry teaches us that unselfish service accords us the joy of true living in harmonious expression of Divine principles here and now.
By ANTONIO GONZALEZ, F.P.S.
Introductory Note. - We take great pleasure in publishing hereunder the masterpiece" submitted by our recently elected "Fellow," III. Brother Antonio Gonzalez, Past Grand Master and present Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of the Philippine Islands, F. & A. M. A graduate of San Beda College and the Escuela de Derecho de Manila, Brother Gonzalez is a successful lawyer and most active Mason. He is a brilliant orator and author, especially in the Spanish tongue. A Past Master of Luz Oceanica Lodge No. 85, he has been presiding officer of each of the organizations making up the Philippine Bodies of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, in which he has attained the thirty-third degree. He is editor of the Spanish section of "The Cabletow" and has written many excellent articles and essays on Masonic subjects. It is largely due to the tireless efforts of this dynamic Brother that Philippine Masonry has recovered so comparatively rapidly from the terrible years of 1941--1946. We are glad, indeed, to welcome him as F.P.S. - The Editor
Pearl Harbor was treacherously attacked. The bulwark of democracy in the Far East, the Philippine Islands, was invaded by overwhelming forces. Manila surrendered without a struggle. Bataan fell from sheer exhaustion. Corregidor gave up after a bitter fight. Refusing to believe our senses and filled with consternation, we eighteen million inhabitants of these Islands saw the Forty-eight Stars sink below the horizon, overpowered but not beaten. But deep down in our hearts we blindly believed and fervently prayed that in the near future they would rise again, more glorious and magnificent than ever.
Japan's attitude towards Masonry was, and had for some time past been, far from friendly. Masonry was branded by the officialdom of that nation as "a Jewish revolutionary organization designed to overthrow established government." Responsible Japanese authorities are said to have stated: "Henceforth, the Jews, the Masons, and whoever is in sympathy with them, must not be allowed one moment's peace in Manchukuo. Indirectly, they must be persecuted, tormented, humiliated, reviled without respite. We must make their lives as miserable as possible. We must show those scoundrels that we Japanese can hit back, and hit hard."
On the other hand, Masonry in the Philippines knew the malevolent character of its enemy. In January of the fateful year of 1941, the Grand Lodge of the Philippine Islands, in Annual Communication assembled, was fully conscious that a catastrophe was impending. Our stand was clearly defined by M. W. Bro. John R. McFie, Jr., then our Grand Master, (may his soul rest in peace!), in these words:
"In this titanic struggle, Democracy and our beloved Masonic Fraternity are arrayed against the forces of Greed, of Avarice, of Ignorance and of Superstition; a war in which each and every one of us has a vital interest in preserving to our children's children, the right to grow up to be free men and women, with the privilege of worshipping God in their own way and of enjoying their God-given institutions of free thought.... It is the duty of every one of us, as men and as Masons, and irrespective of race and creed, to enlist in this great crusade of righteousness to free the world from the grip of tyranny and oppression which is endeavoring to fasten its bleeding claws upon it."
Soon after they had subdued the city of Manila, capital of the Philippines, the Japanese military police, the Kempetai, started their insidious investigations and vile machinations against Masonry.
They sought us out in our Plaridel Temple, the headquarters of Masonry in the Philippines and home of our Grand Lodge. They placed seals on our files and archives and took an inventory of everything in our Temple, not excluding our library. Then they looked me up at my home, as they must have known that I was the Grand Secretary. They demanded of me access to all our records and the re-opening of the Grand Lodge. They evidently desired to search our records for the resolution adopted unanimously by the Grand Lodge in its Annual Communication of 1941, whereby the Fraternity offered its services to the constituted authorities in the event that organized assistance should be needed in any capacity; and, also, for the editorials and articles published in our official organ, The Cabletow, reflecting our avowedly hostile attitude towards the totalitarian nations, declaring ourselves frankly in favor of the Allied Nations, and showing our determination to face all dangers and defy all opposition that would inevitably be encountered. The re-opening of the Grand Lodge was desired for the purpose of securing from us a pledge of cooperation with the Japanese Imperial Government.
To the demand of access to all our records, I answered that we had nothing to conceal or suppress regarding our Fraternity, and that it was not a secret society. This straightforwardness amazed them and made them desist from their threatening attitude in their investigations. However, they explicitly prohibited all Masonic activities, including the use of our funds and any disposal whatsoever of our property.! I was enjoined to remain at home, under pain of being taken with all other Masons to the dreaded dungeons at Fort Santiago.
Inasmuch as I informed them that I was responsible for the Grand Lodge for the reason that the then Grand Master, M. W. Bro. McFie, was still alive but considered absent because he, being an American, was confined at the Santo Tomas Concentration Camp, the Kempetai asked me to issue a call for a special meeting of the Grand Lodge in my capacity as Grand Secretary, stating their desire to attend such meeting and take a part in the deliberations. To this preposterous demand I objected that our constitution did not sanction any such procedure and everything done would be null and void. In order to be valid, all members, irrespective of race, creed or nationality would have to be included in the call, I explained. Besides, I added, the military police had no right to attend any meeting of the Grand Lodge, not being members of the same. I finally told them that any regular or special meeting of the Grand Lodge must be presided by the Grand Master, who was at the time an American, Attorney John R. McFie, Jr. This upset them and they strongly objected to an American convoking the Grand Lodge. They argued that as they had confiscated the share of the Americans in the Grand Lodge they could represent them. I answered that the Grand Lodge was not a commercial concern or a stock company, and that in order to be members of it they must be Masons. To my surprise they said they would like to become Masons and receive the mysteries of our Order. I informed them that it was not within my powers to make them Masons and stated in detail the several steps one must take before becoming a Mason.
Foiled in their attempts, they abandoned their apparently friendly attitude and used instead intimidation, threatening to take me to Fort Santiago.
My story would not be complete if I did not relate an impressive incident which I witnessed at Fort Santiago. Col. Jose P. Guido, the chief of the intelligence division of the erstwhile Philippine Constabulary, was a prisoner there. He was then Deputy Grand Master of our Grand Lodge. He and I were questioned separately with regard to Masonry and were finally brought face to face. The Kempetai officer who was questioning us demanded from Col. Guido the names of the secret agents of his division. Bro. Guido replied that he had no such agents. The officer insisted, adding that he had information that those agents were Masons, and that for this reason Col. Guido refused to divulge their names. Again Bro. Guido answered with a refusal. Failing to obtain the desired information and seeing that he was just wasting his time, the officer became angry and, with signs of fury and hatred, he arose and approached Bro. Guido. Seizing him by the bosom of his shirt with his left hand, he pointed at Bro. Guido's face and shouted: "You .... brown American !" Bro. Guido, drawing himself up, said with calm dignity: "With pride !" The officer answered by slapping him so hard that Bro. Guido staggered a distance and fell to the floor. He was then removed from the room. This incident served us in no small way as an inspiration.
At Fort Santiago the Kempetai questioned me regarding the conference I had with Col. Guido at my house and in other places. I must make mention of the fact that, as Bro. Guido was Deputy Grand Master, I made it a point to tell him every step taken by the Kempetai with regard to our Institution. He visited my house often and sometimes had his afternoon snack or dinner with me. We had agreed that whatever might happen to either of us, we would persist in our refusal to open the Grand Lodge. Without our consent and approval, no action could be taken by the Grand Lodge, and in the remote event of Grand Lodge being opened without such consent and approval, any business transacted by it would be completely irregular and illegal.
Then they again questioned me regarding Masonry and insisted that a meeting of the Grand Lodge be called. As I reiterated that I could not and would not commit an irregularity by convoking a meeting of Filipino members only, to the exclusion of Americans, Chinese, etc., they informed me that Col. Guido, who was still a prisoner, had revealed to them that Masonry was in fact nothing but an espionage system of the Americans. I being the secretary of that organization, unless I called the meeting as desired by them, I would be kept under arrest at Fort Santiago, and my wife, my mother and my whole family would share my fate if I persisted in my refusal. I saw plainly that they were making use of deceit and intimidation to accomplish their purpose, because I knew well that Col. Guido had not said what they alleged. Their hostile attitude clearly proved that Col. Guido had not violated our mutual agreement that Grand Lodge should not be convened, but had remained steadfast. I gave them to understand that as a law-abiding citizen and attorney I could not act against the laws I had sworn to uphold and defend. I was thereupon removed from the investigation room to a prison cell where they told me I would remain for the rest of my life. They said, however, that they would give me until the next day to think things over, and if I should decide to refuse their demands, they would take final action against me and the other Masons, a course which, they added, they were reluctant to take and would only adopt after persuasion and friendly means had failed.
I did not sleep that whole night as I visualized that the next morning my infamous jailers, seeing that I had not changed my decision, might vent their spite on Masonry and its members. The liberty, the welfare and, perhaps, the lives of over five thousand Masons were at stake. While they had not disclosed to me what they were planning to do, yet they had threatened to take measures against Masonry and the Masons. They had already imprisoned Bro. Guido and I, as Grand Secretary, was also in a prison cell. Perhaps the same fate was in store for the other five thousand Masons. Even their wives and children suffer the same fate, and their property might be seized by the Japanese military authorities who were in the habit of appropriating everything they could for their own use, with or without pretext. Under the pretext that the Masons were spies of the Americans, they might even order all Masons shot.
I then thought of these words: "When human strength and wisdom fail, Divine assistance is vouchsafed us through the medium of prayer." I betook myself to prayer, and prayer enlighted and encouraged me.
The next morning I witnessed the incident I have related, after which another officer took charge of investigating me. He informed me that the Japanese military authorities were disgusted to learn that the Filipino Masons refused to co-operate with the Japanese Imperial Government, the purpose for which they desired Grand Lodge opened being to have it adopt a resolution pledging the co-operation of the Filipino Masons and to set aside a resolution they knew the Grand Lodge had adopted. He intimated that the Grand Lodge as constituted should be dissolved, and in its stead a fraternal organization composed of Filipinos only should be formed under the so-called benevolent auspices of the Japanese military forces, and that the funds and property of the Grand Lodge should be distributed among the needy Filipino members, leaving a certain sum to maintain a small administrative office. I argued again that such a thing could not be done, saying: "In the first place, Masonry can never be an institution composed solely of men of one race. Masonry is universal and its doors are open to all men, regardless of nationality. The Grand Lodge could not be dissolved and converted into a mere fraternal organization composed of Filipinos only, under the auspices of anybody. The Grand Lodge represents in the Philippines the Masonic Institution in which only moral and spiritual, and not material, values are taken into account, and for that reason the Japanese military authorities can not claim to have confiscated the American participation in the Grand Lodge."
The officer tried to convince me by showing me various documents containing pledges of co-operation with the Japanese Imperial Government subscribed by various religious institutions of the Philippines. I informed him that if it was their purpose to secure a resolution of that kind, it would be useless to open the Grand Lodge because I was positively sure that no Filipino would ever subscribe to one. The officer acted as if he could not believe what I had told him. I said to him with emphasis that a Filipino Mason was a man of conviction and principles and could not be induced by force or intimidation to sign anything he did not believe in or considered wrong. The officer then resorted to threats, saying that if the Filipino Masons could not be convinced by reasoning, the Japanese had other effective means of making them change their minds. The Great Architect whose help I had invoked then gave me the courage to retort that the Filipino Masons had the same character and tenacity of purpose as had been shown by Bro. Guido. Upon hearing that name, the officer promptly said:' "Oh, forget it," referring to the incident I have related.
Finally, realizing that it was impossible to make us open the Grand Lodge, the officer told me that they would keep Col. Guido in custody at Fort Santiago and me at my house. I was forbidden to receive any person and to open my law office, and was cautioned to watch my step as I would be kept under vigilance. The Plaridel Temple, he said, would be definitely seized as being enemy property, and with it all our furniture, equipment, books files, records, and funds, in short, everything belonging to us as Masons. All this was done: Col. Guido remained in confinement at Fort Santiago; I was kept virtually a prisoner in my house, with a Japanese officer stationed in one of the neighboring houses, and the Plaridel Temple and all it contained was confiscated.
And now that day has dawned at last, and light has overcome darkness, I realize, upon looking back, that during the gloom of the night the Masonic spit it, that spirit of fellowship and charity, of brotherly love and sacrifice, of helpfulness and self-denial, and, above all, of hope in the final triumph of right, inspired us, comforted our anguished hearts and minds and rendered our grim fate bearable. That spirit prompted many a Brother to give secret aid to another in distress. It enabled the Brethren to gather as friends and comrades without arousing suspicion and encouraged them to practice secretly our principles and virtues. It helped everyone to bear his misfortunes as lightly as a bundle soon to be discarded and caused us to scan the horizon in the dark hours of the night for a glimpse of the approaching dawn.
We have lost our material possessions; but we have kept our honor pure and principles inviolate. Masonry has survived in the Philippines. We have not co-operated with the vile invaders and have not yielded an inch to their demands. If our lives were spared in spite of our determined resistance to the enemy, it was by the grace of Divine Providence. To it we reverently address our thankful prayers.
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By Leo Fischer, F.PS.
"Ma Cousine de Saint-Jaffrey" is the title of a novel written by Brother Francois Jeannis Gabriel Corneloup, a Fellow of the Philalethes Society, of Garches, France, under the pseudonym of Jisseka, and published recently by the Editions Jules Tallandier, 75 rue Dareau, Paris.
We have seldom read any novel with the same keen interest and enjoyment as the work of Brother Corneloup. To our mind it compares favorably with Zola's novels of the Rougon-Macquart series.
The story covers the quarter century from 1871 to 1926, and while there is no allusion to Masonry in it, the plot revolves around the struggle between clericals and anti-clericals in which French Masonry is so vitally interested. The characters are strongly portrayed and the plot is carried through with great mastery. We congratulate Brother Corneloup upon his work and we are only sorry that it has not yet been translated into English. Brother Corneloup is manager of the Masonic review Le Symbolisme which was founded by our late brother Oswald Wirth, F.P.S., in 1912.
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By Walter A. Quincke, F.P.S.
Some men do not know what they need until the time is upon them. Other men, by looking ahead, know what they are going to meet, and when the time comes they are prepared. Planning enables a man to utilize his forces of control at a time when least affected by contracting influences. He lays his courses and then by exercise of will he has only to carry out the plan.
* * *
The value of a smile costs nothing but it creates much. It enriches those who receive without impoverishing those who give it. It happens in a flash and the memory of it sometimes lasts forever. None are so rich that they can get along Without it and none so poor but are richer for its benefits. It creates happiness in the home and fosters good will in business. Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed or stolen. It is something that is no earthly good to anyone till it is given away. If at some time you meet someone who fails to give you a smile, may I ask that you give one of your own. For nobody needs a smile as much as those who have none left to give.
* * *
Pluck and perseverance are the handservants of prosperity. Difficulties are for discipline. Problems promote progress. Right results and rewards come from labor, not luck. Apply the abilities you now have, and your powers will develop in the use.
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Bv Leo Fischer, F.P.S.
BELGIUM. "Faithful to its policy, Belgian Masonry has not taken any part in the election campaign recently terminated. There is no doubt that the slight gain by the right resulting from the last election is not pleasing to the Masons individually, and they are not hiding their disappointment and even fears. it is up to them individually to do their duty as citizens and give the matter their consideration; but the Lodges exclude from their agenda discussion of subjects of this nature. Experience has shown that to be the wisest course to take." The foregoing is a translation of a news item in La Chaine d'Uniox, a Paris Masonic journal. From the same journal we also learn that during the elections referred to, all unpatriotic persons were deprived of the right to vote, and that members of the anti-Masonic league were classed as such, which was "a victory and comfort to our Belgian Brothers."
CZECHOSLOVAKIA. The journal above quoted is authority for the report that of the 1800 Brethren in Prague in 1938, only 100 are alive today.
TURKEY. More cheering is the item we find concerning Turkey. Masonry is still prohibited there; but those who belonged to the Lodges maintain contact with each other in a fraternal way and expect to be able some day to resume labor.
VENEZUELA. The Grand Lodge of Venezuela has set an example in Masonic hospitality which is worthy of commendation. With its consent and approval; the Grande Oriente Espanol en Exilio, the Spanish Grand Orient in Exile at present functioning in Mexico, staffed on January 27, 1946, in the city of Caracas, Lodge Libertad Espanola No. 15, a body composed of exiled Spanish Masons under the jurisdiction of the Grand Orient above mentioned. The Grand Installing Commission consisted of the Grand Lodge of Venezuela, and among the many distinguished Masons present was the Sov. Grand Commander of the Supreme Council of the 33rd Degree of Venezuela. The ritual used was that of the Spanish Grand Orient. Speeches were brief but good.
MEXICO. In its March issue, the Bulletin of the Spanish Grand Orient in Exile, in Mexico, publishes in the Spanish language, long excerpts from the Declaration of Independence and, in full, the Gettysburg Address. The "Bulletin" is in its seventh year; its editor is M.W. Bro. Lucio Martinez Gil, Grand Master.
HUNGARY. "Alpina," the official organ of the Grand Lodge of Switzerland, reports that the Government of Hungary has recently repealed a decree prohibiting Masonry which had been in force for 26 years. The first blow against Masonry came from the dictatorial government established in March, 1919, when the proletarians gained the upper hand in Hungary. The Grand Lodge building was taken over by the new government, but was returned to the Grand Lodge when the short-lived soviet republic of Hungary was overthrown. Owing to the hostile attitude of the new government, the Lodges did not resume their labors. In 1920, the Grand Lodge Building at Budapest was occupied and the furniture in it confiscated by the military authorities, without right nor warrant. Subsequently the Minister of the Interior declared the Grand Lodge of Hungary and its constituent Lodges dissolved, alleging that Masonry was largely responsible for the World War and that its activities during that war were of a treasonable character. In Hungary, the same as in other countries in Europe, the enemies of Masonry accused our Institution of being anticlerical and atheistic and alleged that it was nothing but an association of Jewish revolutionists whose aim was to overthrow all established government and turn the power and wealth of the world over to an universal league of Jewish proletarians. The Masons of Hungary rejected a humiliating compromise offered them by the government and declared they would not resume their activities until they had been publicly cleared if the slanderous charges of treason and atheism preferred against them.
SWITZERLAND. The Swiss Grand Lodge ALPINA held its 94th annual communication in beautiful Lugano, on June 22 and 23 of this year. El Dovere Lodge, the only Masonic Lodge in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, had charge of arrangements. The Lodge mentioned was founded by the Italian Grand Orient in 1877 and was regularized and constituted under the Grand Lodge ALPINA in 1884.
Alpina, the official organ of the SWISS Grand Lodge bearing the same name, is published in the three official languages of the Helvetian Republic: German, French, and Italian. In its May issue, this excellent magazine gives a favorable review of the first number of "The Philalethes" and does the same for "Masonic Historiology," the small weekly published by our Secretary-Treasurer, Brother Allister J. McKowen. It also publishes a joint obituary for two Brethren whose death has been a great loss to the "Philalethes Society," Brothers Cyrus Field Willard and Silas H. Shepherd.
GERMANY. As reported by "Sie und Er," a German review, the head of the school system of Frankfurt, am Main, is a man whom the Hitler regime removed from that position because he was a Mason. He is performing the trying duties of his office with the same efficiency and conscientiousness as in the past. The writer of this article, who is not a Mason, states that our Brother is worried and grieved over the state of degeneration of the present German youth.
FINLAND. Dr. V. W. Granberg, M.P.S., writes from Helsingfors that after four years of inactivity due to the war, his Lodge has resumed labor in rented quarters, the Masonic Bodies having been compelled to sell all their property. The total membership of the Lodges of the Grand Jurisdiction has gone down to about 220. The Grand Lodge held its annual communication on May 7, 1946.
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Historical Notes On Masonry On The Islands of Mauritius
From the French of an article signed "Gregoire," which appeared in La Chaine D'Union, of Paris (France), for January, 1946. Translation by Leo Fischer. F.P.S.
(Note of Translator .... Mauritius is an island in the Indian Ocean, 500 miles east of Madagascar, with a population of about 420,000 and an area of 470 square miles. It was chosen by the French author Bernardin de Saint Pierre as the scene for his charming, once widely popular novel, "Paul et Virginie").
This island of Mauritius, now a British colony, because it was conquered by the British in 1810, was from 1715 to 1810 a French colony known as Ile de France.
As our archives have been destroyed and we have but little to work on, we can only give in rough outlines a brief sketch of the history of Masonry on Mauritius.
We do not know of the existence of any regularly constituted Lodge before the Lodge La Triple Esperance which was founded in 1778 by Brothers Perier de Salvert, Ledre de la Serre, and Lecoat.
Its first regular meeting, the one at which it received its charter, was held on December 25, 1778, on which date its officers were installed.
Subsequently other lodges were constituted, as follows:
1st. The Lodge of the 21, which later became the Lodge La Pair, constituted on February 20, 1793.
2nd. The Lodge of the 15 Artists.
These two lodges were consolidated in 1837. Both have disappeared. Other lodges under the jurisdiction of the Grand Orient of France were founded, among them the Lodge La Bienfaisance, which became dormant a few years ago.
Several English and Scottish Lodges have been founded in Mauritius since the British occupation; but at the present writing the Scottish Lodge No. 439 is dormant and there is only an English Lodge, located at Phoenix.
The English and Scottish Lodges maintained for a long time relations of friendship with the French Lodges established on the island, particularly with the Lodge La Triple Esperance.
The first English governor of the colony, Sir Robert Farquhar, and Lord Moira, Governor-General of India, and Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England, while passing through Mauritius in 1813, affiliated with the Lodge La Triple Esperance. Many other Englishmen also joined it.
A long time after the amendment of article 1 of the Constitution of the Grand Orient in 1877, which amendment the Lodge La Triple Esperance, with the approval of the Grand Orient, did not accept, the relations between the lodges of the several Grand Jurisdictions remained friendly; but since about twenty years ago the English Lodge, which is very influential here, broke off all relations with us. It even compelled those of its members who also held membership in La Triple Esperanoe to withdraw from the latter.
Until 1854 the relations between the members of the clergy and the Masons were good. On May 21, ]854, an order of Monseigneur Cellier, Bishop of Port Louis, deprived Masons of the sacraments of the Church.
This caused great excitement among the Brethren of La Triple Esperance who lodged protests with the government of the colony and even with Queen Victoria of England; but received the reply that the government could not take any action in this matter.
That was a serious blow to Masonry on the Island of Mauritius.
Since it was founded in 1778, La Triple Esperance had been occupying a very prominent place and played an important part in the history of the colony. Nearly all the outstanding men of the colony belonged to it.
The inauguration of the temple of La Triple Esperance, on June 24, 1802, was a magnificent ceremony, it was graced by the presence of numerous Brethren of the lodges of Mauritius, Europe, India, and the Cape of Good Hope.
The cornerstones of the principal public buildings, such as the Saint Louis Cathedral, in 1813, and the Theatre of Port Louis, in 1820, were laid with solemn Masonic ceremonies, with the Brethren of La Triple Esperance in the lead.
The cornerstone of Saint Louis Cathedral was laid on August 19, 1813, by Brother Lord Moira, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England. The Brethren of the several lodges assembled, with Brother Lord Moira in the chair, at the temple of La Triple Esperance, and from there they went in procession and in Masonic regalia to the church square.
The festivals given in that lodge, such as balls and distributions of prizes, were among the most beautiful on the island, and in its temple met the highest personages in the colony, prominent visitors, and the elite of the population of Mauritius.
We read in the minutes of the lodge that in 1853, on occasion of the inauguration of the gallery of the temple (now disappeared), one of the most splendid Masonic balls given by the Lodge La Triple Esperance was held. 800 invited guests were present, among them General Sutterland, governor of Mauritius, Madam Hubert Delisle, wife of the governor of La Reunion, Rear-Admiral Laguerre, commander-in-chief of the French station in the Indian Sea. etc.
The last feast given by La Triple Esperance was the banquet offered in 1917 to Brother Meric, commandant of the Messageries Maritimes liner Crimee, which, during the Great War, sank a German submarine in the Mediterranean.
The Temple of the Lodge La Triple Esperance was used for festive occasions; but it was; also used to shelter the victims after the cyclone of April 29, 1892, when it was converted into a hospital, and also during epidemics, especially during the Spanish influenza epidemic of 1917 when we were able to take care of many patients.
Of all this, unfortunately, nothing but the recollection is left to us. Even our temple is menaced now!
The exodus of the inhabitants of Port Louis, capital of the island of Mauritius, where the temple is located, towards the high plateaus, has to some extent resulted in laxity among the Brethren who attend the meetings in every decreasing numbers.
The anathema pronounced against the Masons in a small colony which has remained very religious, the separation from the English Lodge, the lack of interest in the meetings of a Lodge with sadly reduced resources and membership, almost precipitated the Lodge La Triple Esperance toward the fate of her sister Lodges.
Fortunately there was still a handful of Brethren left whose ardor and determination would not allow their lodge to disappear.
Not having received any answer to the appeal they had made to the Grand Orient to help them save their temple which was falling into ruins, La Triple Esperance had decided to sell it, but when the sale was about to be concluded, the members of the Lodge could not make up their mind to consummate it. They made a heroic effort to save at least the temple proper, after having sacrificed the rest of the buildings. the waiting room, veranda, etc.
The few Brethren devoted to Masonry and to their Lodge struggle with all their might to keep up the old Lodge, so dear to them because of the happy memories which it evokes and because it is one of the last links between them and their old country, France.
As the maintenance of a French lodge on the island of Mauritius can be useful only to the French Brethren who may go there, the Brethren of this Lodge hope that the Grand Orient will take an interest in a Lodge on its rolls founded in 1778, which, with its sister Lodge L'Amitie, of Saint Denis (Reunion), desires to go on working for the defense and propagation of Masonic ideals in the colonies.
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Freemasonry is a life to be lived, not a formality to be perfunctorily observed. It is a life to be lived, not a set of empty creeds to which lip service is given. It is a life grounded in religion, organized in morality, mellowed by good fellowship, humanized in charity, and dedicated to service.
- Harold J. Richardson, P.G.M.
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We can never replace a friend. When a man is fortunate enough to have several, he finds they are all different. No one has a double in friendship.
- Schiller
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By the Late Silas H. Shepherd, F.P.S.
It is said that Mt. Everest is the most alluring of all mountains because it is so difficult to climb, and the attempt is continually being made to reach its summit. There is charm in attaining the difficult.
We may see the grander profundity of Freemasonry and be greatly influenced by it; but we can never scale its lofty ideals or fully comprehend its recondite philosophy. There are always higher ideals to attain and more lessons to learn.
An old charge given when the writer was made a Mason many years ago contains a thought we may well consider .... "Let all the energies of our minds and the affections of our souls be employed in the attainment of our Supreme Grand Master's approbation." And how may we do this? How may we repay His love and deserve the blessings which He is so constantly bestowing upon us?
Great and good men of every age have striven to answer these questions and formulated them into the system of morality which we call Freemasonry. They traced Nature through her various windings to her most concealed recesses and found conclusive evidence that there is a Great Architect of the Universe, and that man should place implicit trust in Him. This logically led to the belief that physical life is only a phase of eternal life, and that physical death is only a transition to a life beyond, and that it is all important to build character, the only thing we take with us when we lay down the physical body. The wise man fully appreciates that character is his only asset and that it is the most certain method of Divine approbation.
To teach men great truths, as the actuating forces in their lives, they must be presented in simple, logieal and attractive form. Pictorial and ceremonial methods proved most efficient. Rituals, at first very simple, have been in use from the dawn of recorded history. Symbols and myths, fables and allegories, traditions and legends have been used to amplify wise and serious truths.
Freemasonry is more than an organization. It is a system of symbolic teaching and a philosophy of life. Its beautiful ritual is the key to a vast store of the most useful knowledge. But the verbal ritual is a partial commentary on the ceremonies which are the real text of the ritual and must be carefully studied to be comprehended.
A knowledge of value is not easily attained. We only receive that which we earn. Those who seek more light will be amply repaid in values that are enduring. Those who so apply themselves may be sure of the wages of a Fellowcraft and the approbation of the Supreme Grand Master.
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I call that mind free which jealously guards its intellectual rights, contents itself with no hereditary faith, and receives new truth as an angel from heaven.
- William Ellery Channing
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As there is no screen or ceiling between our heads and the infinite heaven, so is there no bar or wall in the soul where man ceases and God begins.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
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WE WERE BOYS TOGETHER, SILAS AND I
By Robert O. Jasperson, P.G.M.
Silas Shepherd and I were boys together in the lower grades of one of the ward schools at Neenah, Wisconsin, way back in the 80's. There were hard times then, and I recall that he and I were clothed for the most part in made-over things from Dad or an older brother. Silas was a gangling youth and so was I. He was red-headed and freckled. His risibilities lay close to the surface, and I recall that he received an average of one licking a day because of his explosive giggling at some classmate who knew how easy it was to make Silas laugh when he should have been quiet.
I have no recollection as to his ability as a student. He and I and all the other boys except teacher's pet usually got miserably poor marks. Truth is we regarded school as a form of torture devised by our elders as an outlet for their sadist tendencies. It would be difficult then to imagine Silas, a toothy redhead, as a serious-minded grown-up in whose heart was the soul of a poet and whose mind was ever in restless quest for the answer to the riddle of life.
This boyhood association with Silas was not for long. My parents moved away and Silas in time left, as I later learned, for Chicago.
Forty years elapsed. I had lost all track of my pal. Our paths had never crossed in all that time until one night, while sitting at a banquet table in a Milwaukee hotel I glanced towards the wide door leading to the hall when a figure strode past. It took a split second and he was gone; but in that instant I recognized my old friend Silas. I hurried from the hall and almost breathlessly greeted him: "Hello, Sir, do you know me?"
Evidently Time had wrought many changes in me in forty years, and Silas had to confess that he could not place me. And it was not surprising, for, instead of a pale, gangling, bashful boy of 9 or 10, in clothes too small for his long arms and legs, as I was then, what Silas saw was a robust man of 6 feet 4, well over 225 pounds in weight.
Somehow, Silas had not changed a great deal. Taller, to be sure and much better looking as a mature man, and in his eye the light of a great soul which I later learned to admire and love.
We had a wonderful reunion. I learned from him that after leaving our little home town, Silas grew up like most boys of our times, a bit wild, rather careless, and reacting erratically to those strange impulses that seem to run wild in the innermost being of teen-age youth.
In time he learned to love books, and when he became a Mason he began to glimpse the meaning of life and to learn about God. After much reading and serious study he evolved a philosophy of his own that seemed to satisfy the yearnings of his great heart. To Masonry he gave credit for his awakening to the greatness, the goodness and the omnipotence of the Great Architect of the Universe. Masonry to Silas! was not just a lodge, a means of passing a social hour, a pastime. To him it was a guide to a great philosophy, the opening of a door to mysteries that elude the casual inquirer. It stirred in him his talent as a poet. He wrote beautifully of his findings, always humble and self-effacing and not too proud of his efforts. We served together on the Committee for Masonic Research of the Grand Lodge of Wisconsin for many years and he very frequently submitted his manuscripts to me for such revision or correction as seemed necessary. He was self-taught. His style was the unconscious absorption from his explorations in literature. His manuscript seldom needed correction. It was a joy to work with him. He was so sincere and so modest. We differed on many points, particularly relating to public ownership, private property, etc. From the greatness of his heart he felt keenly for the under-dog, the forgotten man, the underprivileged, and ascribed much of their plight to the injustices of the system under which we live, and in his kindly way would argue long and well in support of his theories.
For many years Silas was a clerk in the railway mail service, and when he retired on a modest pension he tried settling in Florida in a postal colony there; but there was not sufficient outlet for his great love for Masonry, so he concluded to move to California. In his letters to me he expressed his joy at meeting so many kindred spirits in California, and I know that his sunset years were among the happiest of his life.
Silas Shepherd was a diamond in the rough. The brilliance of his mind was not always at once manifest; but no one could know him long and not recognize in him a rare spirit. Indeed, to know Silas Shepherd was to love him.
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By Leo Fischer, F.P.S.
Bro. Jasperson's article which appears above will be sure to strike a responsive chord in the heart of many a man who knew that lovable character. Bro. Jasperson knew Silas as a boy and, later in life shared his work in Masonic research. He was well qualified to speak of our late Brother, and he did so from the fulness of his heart.
But no one knew Bro. Shepherd as well as his devoted wife, now living alone in the little house in San Diego in which our Brother's last years of life were spent studying, reading and writing on Masonay and kindred subjects. Mrs. Shepherd had always taken deep interest in her husband's work and studies. Much that he published he had first read to her. During those last years in San Diego she was no longer burdened with the care of seven children and was able to share her husband's work and reading to the fullest. Only on Lodge nights she was unable to be with him and had to be contented with a lot of what is currently termed a "Masonic widow."
"We were poor all our lives," he said to me not long ago; "we had barely enough to get by on, because his salary was small; but when he wanted some Masonic book, he would go without his lunch day after day until he had saved enough money to buy it."
Life does not hold much for our Brother's widow now that he is no longer by her side; but she wastes no time in useless grieving and waits with resignation for the moment when she will receive the summons to join her husband in a brighter and fairer land.